CA$ 10,555

93

Nokshi Crafts was created with a vision to provide opportunities for artisans, mostly women, who do not have access to markets. We give them a global platform to showcase their talent while ensuring they are paid fair wages and not subject them to unsafe working conditions.

Through your support, we can ensure the sustainable livelihoods of artisans in rural communities. Ethical production means our artisans are paid fair wages and are not subject to adverse working conditions. Matter of fact, most of our artisans are able to work from the comfort of their own homes, while being able to take care of their families. Each employed artisan is able to support up to 8 members of their family.

My name is Maisha Samiha, and I am the founder of Nokshi Crafts. My dream to infuse art and fashion led me to my journey that started early this year during my visit to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is internationally known as a powerhouse for manufacturing fashion. However, my exposure to both contemporary production environments versus hand-made production environments was an eye-opener. As a Bangladeshi born Canadian, my expedition to rural communities in Bangladesh has inspired me to provide the solution to a problem while achieving my dream. The potential of hand-made production is often overlooked due to the focus on fast fashion where unfair wages, adverse working conditions, environmental pollution, excessive use of water and creation of waste is often the consequence.

I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring and watching artisans create fine silk garments using centuries old techniques that are socially and environmentally sustainable. Through this journey, I was moved by the meticulous craftsmanship of these artisans in creating fine pieces of art. Having experienced this, my instinct was to empower these artisans to help them do what they do best, which would provide them with sustainable livelihoods, and showcase to the world that an alternative production environment that is socially and environmentally sustainable is within reach. As I started to connect the dots, Nokshi Crafts was born.

Initially, our collection will include two product lines. The first one is our vegetable dyed batik silk scarf. Batik is the art of hand stamping intricate patterns on a garment. Our batik scarves are hand-dyed using eco-friendly vegetable dyes. As a start, we are offering our hand-dyed scarfs in a combination of five different colours and five designs that you can choose from.

The second line is the most exclusive and rare collection on the market. We are super excited to bring you our hand-painted silk scarves. We’re very proud to produce the first collection of its kind. Each hand-painted silk scarf is painted by single artist from start to finish, providing a human touch that is exclusive and rare. Our talented artists are able to tell a story through this personal touch. Each of these scarves is a unique piece of art, and wearing them, absolutely elevates fashion.

Our commitment to environmental responsibility is also reflected in our choice of production techniques. Use of natural materials and hand-made production techniques means we do not rely on heavy machinery that use coal or electricity as a source of power. Our production techniques also use very little water and produce minimal waste. This means our production process has minimal carbon footprint. We also use natural dyes made from vegetables. This significantly reduces the use of chemicals that are harmful to the health of the artisans and contaminate the eco-system.

We strive to create the finest hand-made silk scarf, which means we produce our own silk. Our scarves are made from Rajshahi Silk, a pride of Bangladesh – known for its soft buttery feel and durability. Our scarves are the highest quality silk weighing 14 momme.

With your help and support, we can create a responsible consumer base to ensure steady demand for our products. Creating sufficient order quantities will allow us to retain a team of skilled and talented artisans who can focus on their task instead of worrying about making ends meet. Through your commitment, we can ensure that these artisans have steady incomes, which will create incentives for them to be more involved and empowered. And of course, as our mantra goes, we hope to scale up and expand production to steadily create more opportunities to support more artisans.

With a successful campaign, we intend to deliver to our Kickstarter backers, but also use Kickstarter funds to carry inventory for future orders placed through our website – www.nokshicrafts.com. This will significantly reduce delays caused by weaving, dying, and painting and shipping our products. Our plan is to provide a seamless supply of products, to best meet demands at all times. Therefore, Kickstarter is instrumental to our success.

Since we’re unable to ship our products to you in time for the holiday season, we’re offering an option to designate any portion of your reward as a gift. We’ll send an email to anyone you like, on a date of your choice, at the end of the campaign, during the holiday season letting them know you’ve given them our product(s) as a holiday gift. On top of that, we will also send the recipient printed photographs of our artisans. Please email us if you would like to send gifts to multiple recipients. We’ll also update your recipients regarding product delivery timelines.

We will send a survey at the end of the campaign where you can choose your reward as a gift.

Risks and challenges

Our timelines above reflect the range of production time that may be required depending on the demand created by the campaign. Scaling up the production requires more manpower.

We strive to produce the highest quality goods, but maintaining consistency in quality control for hand-made goods will require close attention. Our commitment to high quality will be ensured through our quality control techniques.

To overcome delays in production and logistics, we will carry inventory to meet demands at all times. There will also be costs associated to carrying and managing inventory, as well as managing an e-commerce website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 65 or more
About $49

EARLY BIRD!! BATIK SILK SCARF

~$49 USD

You will receive one beautiful Batik Silk Scarf in any design and colour of your choice at an early bird price.
Our light, breathable, buttery soft scarves are perfect for everyday and all-season use. They're also great for travel, light and easy to carry, and versatile for both work or play. Our scarves can even double as a sarong for those laid back lazy days on the beach.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 85 or more
About $64

BATIK SILK SCARF

~$64 USD

You will receive one beautiful Batik Silk Scarf in any design and colour of your choice.
Our light, breathable, buttery soft scarves are perfect for everyday and all-season use. They're also great for travel, light and easy to carry, and versatile for both work or play. Our scarves can even double as a sarong for those laid back lazy days on the beach.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 95 or more
About $71

EARLY BIRD!! HAND PAINTED SILK SCARF

~$71 USD

You will receive one beautiful Hand Painted Silk Scarf in any style you choose at an early bird price.
Our light, breathable, buttery soft scarves are perfect for everyday and all-season use They're also great for travel, light and easy to carry, and versatile for both work or play. Our scarves can even double as a sarong for those laid back lazy days on the beach.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 125 or more
About $94

HAND PAINTED SILK SCARF

~$94 USD

You will receive one beautiful Hand Painted Silk Scarf in any style you choose.
Our light, breathable, buttery soft scarves are perfect for everyday and all-season use. They're also great for travel, light and easy to carry, and versatile for both work or play. Our scarves can even double as a sarong for those laid back lazy days on the beach.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 160 or more
About $120

TWO BATIK SILK SCARVES

~$120 USD

Thinking of buying a Batik scarf for yourself and your best friend? Or your mother so you can match with her on mother's day? Or maybe just two for yourself, because we know it's hard to pick just one! Instead of picking two separately, get both at a reduced price.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 230 or more
About $173

TWO HAND PAINTED SILK SCARVES

~$173 USD

Thinking of buying a Hand Painted scarf for yourself and your best friend? Or your mother so you can match with her on mother's day? Or maybe just two for yourself, because we know it's hard to pick just one! Instead of picking two separately, get both at once with this reward.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 280 or more
About $211

FOUR BATIK SILK SCARVES

~$210 USD

This reward is perfect for the ethical bride! The batik scarves will be the perfect gift for your bridesmaids. These one of a kind, hand printed, vegetable dyed scarves will be a unique and exclusive gift for your entourage. Savings of $60!!!.

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge CA$ 440 or more
About $331

FOUR HAND PAINTED SILK SCARVES

~$330 USD

This reward is perfect for an artsy bride! The Hand Painted scarves will be the perfect gift for your bridesmaids who love art and fashion. These one of a kind, hand made scarves will be a unique and exclusive gift for your entourage. Savings of $60!!!

A Survey will be sent at the end of the campaign where you can tell us your choices.